“DO YOU WRITE IN A PLANNER DAILY?” This is one of the first questions that Apollo Tutors ask new K-12 students! We emphasize keeping an agenda because organization is key to academic success, & students quickly outgrow the storing-due-dates-in-your-mind method! So gather round — middle school kiddos, college students, and grown-ups alike! Here’s how to keep your life organized and have fun while you’re doing it!

1. Find a planner that you LOVE!
   Sure, you could spend $5 on a basic planner, and it would do the trick. But remember that you’ll be looking at this thing for the next year, so finding something that you love is worth the investment! Splurge on a planner from your favorite brand! Buy a unique and personalized planner from a boutique! I’m obsessed with this planner from Rad & Happy, made by an incredible artist named Tara! It’s complete with a leather cover, hand-drawn font, adorable graphics, stickers, coloring pages, and daily goal tracking, all at a reasonable price of $30! Whether or not you decide to invest in a fancy planner, make sure it has monthly calendar overviews and plenty of space for daily notes!

2. Find a system that’s convenient!
   Now that you’ve found a planner that rocks, make sure you use it to its full potential! We recommend that you start with this month’s calendar overview page, and write down all due dates and obligations for this month. (For college students, this is a great opportunity to pull out all of your syllabi and organize class assignments and exams in one place! Go ahead and fill out monthly overviews for the whole semester!) If you want to get really fancy, consider color-coding your planner to make it easier to read. For example, I always write down meetings and events in red, class assignments in blue, work tasks in green, and personal tasks in black!Then, on Sunday afternoons, get organized by referring to your monthly overview and filling out all of the due dates and reminders for the week ahead! I usually put really important reminders for meetings and exams in my phone as well! Then as the week goes by, use your planner in each class to write down homework and new due dates. Then when you sit down at the end of the day to study, everything you need to know is in one place!
3. Use your planner for more than just to-do lists!
   If you’re not naturally organized, the thought of using a planner may sound like a boring task. Spice up your relationship with your planner by adding activities that you enjoy! Write down fun ideas on blank notes pages, doodle, or stick in some coloring pages! I love to cook, so I use my planner for meal prep ideas too! I also love tracking my yearly goal progress using this goal tracking tool from Rad & Happy, where I fill in a bubble for every day that I meet my goals throughout the year!

Now that you’re all set with the best tools, go fall in love with your planner! For more help teaching your children how to be organized and responsible students, find a great college-age Apollo Tutor and mentor at www.apollotutors.org!

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